Musical One Shots: Marauders Edition
by Kay Perkins
Summary: This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. Each of these standalones is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed. Rated T for safety.
1. Take A Chance On Me

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Take A Chance On Me by ABBA

**Song Length: **3:52

"I said _no_, James." Lily sighed. She was getting tired of his games. James just smirked.

"Alright, fine. You don't need my help. I get it."

"You're the one who needs help. Go ask someone to brew you a Calming Draught."

"You know, someday, you're going to be very lonely and wish you had agreed to go out with me."

"We just don't make sense." Lily was tired of this back-and-forth. Secretly, she wished she could just bring herself to admit it: She was completely, totally in love with him. But her brain said "Absolutely not!"

"I know how to take a hint?"

"Oh, really?" She laughed at him. "Because I've been saying no for six years and it's taken you this long." He ignored her, and brushed past her, whispering in her ear.

"Hogsmeade trip this weekend. If you decide... otherwise... meet me by the clock at nine on Saturday."

_I think I might go,_ she decided.


	2. Eyes Open

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Eyes Open by Taylor Swift

**Song Length: **3:54

Severus collapsed on the ground, clutching Lily-no, Lily's body. The thought made him sob even harder.

Guilt and pain wracked his chest like a knife. A nasty thought entered his head. _This is all my fault,_ he reached for his wand. A spell, a flash of green light, and he would be gone. Gone and with her. But it was gone. He couldn't even sit up any more. There was nothing but rain and sadness.

He heard a soft whimper-a baby's. As he turned to look at the baby with the lightning scar on his forehead, Severus felt another pang. His eyes... exactly the shape and color of hers. Hers, which had been closed.

He hated the Dark Lord. He hated him more than James, more than Sirius, more than Lupin, more than anything.

He screamed.


	3. Like We Used To

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Like We Used To by The Downtown Fiction

**Song Length: **4:04

James sat in the common room, tearing up bits of parchment he had doodled on earlier today in Charms and throwing it into the fire. The red-gold flames danced merrily, taunting him. He glanced down at a particular drawing of a heart with "L.E." scratched inside it and the image of Lily snogging that Ravenclaw prefect popped into his head. He let out a sigh and flattened down his messy hair, trying to get it to stay in place.

"Why, Lily?" He shredded up the parchment without anger, but not without melancholy, and chucked it in the fire.

He _hated_ that Ravenclaw prefect. What was his name? Michael something. Not that it mattered. He was all wrong for Lily. All blond and short and thin-lipped. James leaned forward and put his head in his hands. All he could think about was why he wasn't good enough for her and how she had forgotten about him so quickly.


	4. Rolling In The Deep

Hugo, Lily, and Alexandra began practicing Monday, and Wednesday night, though clouds circled ahead and the sky threatened to rain, the three left the Quidditch pitch feeling tired but pleased.

"Hugh, you're really improving!" Alexandra raved and gave Hugo a one-armed hug. Hugo's skin burned where she had touched it. His brain felt like with was made of mud; it was terrifying and delightful at the same time.

"You too, Lily. I can't think of anyone else who can fly like you in Gryffindor House. Your aim is fantastic, too."

Hugo could practically feel Lily glowing with pride. "So you think we have a shot?"

"Absolutely."

"You know, James was hoping you wouldn't try out." Lilt blurted out. "He reckons you'll make a fool of yourself."

Hugo groaned sadly, but Lily turned to face him. "That's not a bad thing, though. Imagine how impressed he'll be when you surprise him."

"You really think I could beat Ashdown?"

Alexandra turned to face him, beaming. "Any day."

"Well hopefully any day is Friday."

"I bet it is. You just wait, Hugh, you're going to make the team."

Lily nudged him in the waist and waggled her eyebrows at him. He shot her a dirty look and said loudly, "So, seen Malfoy lately?"

Lily turned a deep shade of purple and punched Hugo in the hip. Alexandra had the decency to pretend like she hadn't heard.

* * *

Friday evening, Hugo barely touched his dinner. He was flanked by Alexandra and Lily, both of whom tried to coax him into eating something. Instead, he just drummed his fingers on the wooden table anxiously.

"You're going to do _fine_." Alexandra ran her hands up and down his neck. He was too nervous to even blush.

"I'm going to fail. I just know it."

James stood up down the table and nodded to everyone. Alexandra and Lily helped Hugo up and led him out onto the Quidditch pitch. The grass was wet and water still hung in the air from the thunderstorm on Thursday, but there was no rain. Small miracles.

James made his speech short and sweet.

"All right, everyone, listen up! I know you're all nervous, but just remember to play your best. That's the most any of you can do. And I believe in you all. May the best man-" Jennifer glared at him. "Or woman win. And I'd like to take this time to remind everyone on the team that we may be making some replacements." James avoided Daniel's eye during this part.

"Okay, let's do Chasers first."

Only two Chasers were trying out: Lily and a boy who looked extremely pale and peaky. He couldn't have been older than thirteen.

Lily flew extremely well and made four of her five shots (the fifth she missed only because Flockton accidentally took the Quaffle to the stomach and was nearly knocked off his broom. James looked surprised and impressed.

"Excellent speed on that, Lily-did you _see_ that?" He mouthed the last bit to Jennifer, who was looking bored and uninterested.

The peaky boy did surprisingly well, too. He made all five of his goals while Lily chewed her fingernails. He rode a junker of an old broom though, and Lily outshone him in speed by at least ten miles an hour.

There were ten boys there to try out for Keeper, each getting progressively dumber and meaner. The last boy got so angry he tried to steal Wood's broom out from underneath him. James sent him off the pitch.

No one even bothered to show up for Seeker, which James looked pretty smug about. Next it was just Hugo trying out for Beater. Lily crossed her fingers, and Hugo thought he caught a glimpse of Alexandra crossing hers as well. Daniel glared at him.

Hugo took a deep breath, grasped his bat, and nodded at James, who released one of the Bludgers from its cage.

Hugo accelerated as fast as his broom could possibly go, squinted his eyes, and swung the bat with all his might at the Bludger. He heard a heavy clunk of wood meeting metal and a gasp from the crowd. When he blinked his eyes, the Bludger had gone straight through two wooden targets and through the goal hoop on the other side of the pitch. It was some kind of a miracle.

The crowd watching clapped and got to their feet once Hugo touched down. James scribbled something on his clipboard. Daniel looked livid. Clemente looked frightened. Alexandra glowed.


	5. Faster

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Faster by Matt Nathanson

**Song Length: **3:25

Lily felt like she was floating. James tasted like... well, she didn't know _what_, exactly, but it was something good. His lips were so soft and warm, but his arms were strong, wrapped around her like he was her shelter against everything. She couldn't believe she had wasted all this time not kissing James.

Minty. But a little bit woodsy. Like mint and cinnamon. But not disgusting. She wished she could turn her brain off, but she just thought too much. At least she was only focused on one thing, and that was James' hands against the back of her neck.

And he smelled like leather. But the good kind. And there was that mint again. Was that the aftermath of Drooble's? James pulled away for breath, but their first kiss had left Lily's overly thoughtful head spinning and heart racing. She allowed herself two seconds of thoughtless bliss while James just smiled at her before she leaned in for seconds.


	6. We Cry

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **We Cry by The Script

**Song Length: **3:44

"I got the paper," Lupin sighed and threw the _Daily Prophet_ onto the table in front of him. Lily and James looked at the paper almost warily, their hands intertwined underneath the table, but their young, fresh faces clouded in worry.

"How many this week?" Sirius said quietly.

"Ten. But no one we know." The tension in the room lessened a bit, but not by much. "Ten missing, one dead, one presumed dead."

"There's no use pretending we can just sit by and let this happen." Lily spoke up for the first time in a while. "I mean, you all know what we need to do." She looked directly at James. "Yo know it's been coming for a while. The Order needs us."

James face twisted with pain; he knew what this meant. But he nodded and glanced at Lupin, who also nodded stoically. "I'll send the owl to Dumbledore by morning."


	7. Happy Ending

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Happy Ending by Mika

**Song Length: **4:36

Remus sat in The Three Broomsticks, drowning in his Firewhisky. He checked his watch, the watch Marissa had given him for his birthday. Pain attacked Remus' chest like a knife. Rain pattered on the roof like needles falling onto his eardrums. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or throw his drink against the wall. Who knew one girl could cause him this much pain? Was it the wolf in him that wanted to howl?

James, Lily, Peter, and Sirius strolled by The Three Broomsticks, laughing happily. Remus could see them through the December-frosted glass. It made him even sadder. He should be there with them, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to face them. And why? They wouldn't hate him. If they accepted his "furry little problem", as James liked to call it, they wouldn't hate him for a breakup. He wanted to call out to them.

But he just couldn't.


	8. Be Ok

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Be Ok by Ingrid Michaelson

**Song Length: **2:24

Severus grabbed his books and his torn-open bag and cursed under his breath. James was laughing, but Lily wasn't. She stood next to him, not laughing, but not moving, either.

He shuffled down the hallway and heard light footsteps behind him. She always padded, never clunked. "Sev?"

Lily hadn't spoken to her in years. He barely knew her anymore, but he was still madly in love. Severus fought with himself in his head for a second or two: pride or love?

Pride won.

Severus pretended he hadn't heard her. He had never been a good liar, but then again, how would she know?


	9. Everybody Talks

**A/N: **This is a writing exercise for which the Author puts their iPod on shuffle and has the length of the song to come on to write a flash fiction piece based on the song. The flash fiction needs no beginning, middle, or end. It can be a slice of life. Each of these chapters is set during the Marauder Era. I use only canon pairings for this exercise. No editing is allowed, except what you can manage in the time it takes for the song to play.

* * *

**Song: **Everybody Talks by Neon Trees

**Song Length: **2:56

****"Hey baby," Sirius shifted his weight onto his other foot. She glanced back at him, her long hair just touching the bottom of her back.

"Oh, please," she half laughed, but he could sense a flicker of desire in her eyes.

"Don't ignore me," he shifted closer to her, her lips almost on the soft skin at her hairline. He heard her breath hitch.

"People can see." she whispered. Like a dog senses fear, he could tell she wasn't over him no matter how much she insisted she was.

"Who's watching? I don't see anyone watching." On the contrary, a few people were watching, pointing, or giggling at them.

"When?" she said reluctantly.

"Meet me at seven." Sirius planted a soft kiss on her collarbone.


End file.
